Fourteen is fourteen and a girl is a girl: Validating the identity of adolescent bloggers

This study focuses on the phenomenon of lying on adolescents’ weblogs. The sample consisted of 113 completed surveys out of 120 in total. The age of participants ranged between 13 and 17 years old. Interviews were conducted with 10 randomly selected participants whose answers were then verified. The results suggest not only that adolescents present personal information such as their age, gender, and place of residence but that these pieces of information are presented truthfully. Generally, the level of dishonesty was low, with young adolescents tending to lie more often about their interests. Public topics (school and life) had the most truthful answers, whereas the least truthful answers concerned intimate topics (family life, partnership). These results suggest that adolescents’ blogs serve as a place where the writers can both present themselves and communicate with their peers in a way that goes beyond a traditional diary

Blinka, L., & Smahel, D. (2009). Fourteen is fourteen and a girl is a girl: Validating the identity of adolescent bloggers. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12, 735-739